Community Brag Posts

Drop Leaf Mobile Kitchen Island

Submitted by jkjackson on Sun, 03/14/2021 - 11:19

This was born out of the need for more counter space in our galley kitchen. We don't have the space to add an island. Especially around the holidays, it would be great to have extra space for making cookies, serving big meals, etc. I used Ana's Small Kitchen Island Prep Cart plans for inspiration. I adapted the dimensions to fit at the end of our counters when not in use and added a drop leaf to give us almost 4 additional feet of butcher block counter top when we need it. I used scrap lumber that I had for the cabinet and had an extra drawer handle that matches our kitchen cabinets but bought the butcher block, locking casters, drawer slide and hardware for the legs. Also, the weight of the butcher block makes it want to tip when it's away from the cabinet with the drop leaf down so I added a lead counter weight inside the drawer.

Estimated Cost
$150-200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr paint for the cabinet, food grade mineral oil and cutting board wax for the butcher block
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

jkjackson

Sat, 07/24/2021 - 16:59

Sure! I used a 4 foot butcher block and cut it down. The horizontal part is 13 1/2" and the drop leaf part is 32 1/8" attached with a piano hinge. The legs need to be cut and hinged to fit when folded up. This one is made so that the drop leaf fits right under the overhang of the kitchen countertop that it is next to so it's snug against the cabinet and not an issue but, if you want it to be freestanding, the weight of the butcher block will pull it over if you don't weight the cabinet down with something as well. I got a 5 pound lead bar from Amazon in case we need to use it somewhere else. I hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.

DIY Board Game Cabinet

We tweaked the Ana White Barn Door bookcase plan for a bathroom linen closet, made it a hair too wide (it was soooo close), and decided to use this for board games instead. It's PERFECT for storing long games like Monopoly, as well as puzzles, cards, and more. I decorated it with vinyl cut with my Cricut to give it that "game night" feel.

The project ended up being fairly time consuming because painting the shelf took a lot of time... if I did it again, I'd probably use a paint sprayer. I just don't have a great space for spraying furniture builds.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)

Comments

Outdoor living space inspired by Ana’s plans

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 05/27/2021 - 17:49

I started this backyard project at the beginning of the Pandemic. I used Ana’s plans for the Adirondacks and the picnic table and the bench.

Thanks for your ideas ams inspiration!!!!

Sincerely
Spencer Friedlander

Estimated Cost
$700
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)

Comments

Modified Camp Loft Bed

Submitted by akwebb3 on Tue, 08/03/2021 - 14:07

I may have spoiled my Grand-daughter a bit too much and her room was really full of stuff. I decided that I should just go ahead and spoil her a little more by building her a new bed for her birthday. I used the Camp Loft Bed plan but did modify it to fit her full size mattress and raised the height just a bit to make sure that her doll house would fit underneath. I am so happy with how it turned out! I love that I can fit her toy bins underneath the stairs where they are out of the way and how much more room she has to actually play. I used some really fat yarn and crocheted the little stair runners so it is nice and soft on her feet going up and down the stairs. This project did take longer then some of the others that I have done but I do also work a full time job. I had the bed actually built and put together in a weekend but then took it all apart for staining and finishing which took a long time. There were a lot of pieces to stain with multiple sides and coats to get the coverage I wanted so it would match her other furniture. I also did 3 coats of topcoat on each piece. Looking back if I had to do this over again I would have used 4x4's for the legs/bed posts. She is only 6 right now but as she gets older I will probably switch those so that it is a little more sturdy as she gets bigger.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Queen Sized Stoarge Bed - cheaper version

I made the bulk of this bed from 2 sheets of OSB to make it cheaper. The headboard is from salvaged pallets and scrap studs from a construction site. Baskets or drawers forthcoming. Easy plans to follow.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
White Kilz and and white Kensington & Clark.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Triangular Rabbit Hutch

Submitted by Medeek on Fri, 05/03/2013 - 18:14

This is a rabbit hutch I created for my kids 5 rabbits. The thing that makes this hutch really nice is if you have a large lawn you can just move the hutch a little bit every day and the lawn gets mowed, fertilized and you don't have to worry about cleaning up all the rabbit droppings. I also mounted a rabbit feeder on the inside of the house door to keep the food dry, which has worked really well.

Here is a short blog of all the steps in its construction:
http://design.medeek.com/gallery/RH3080_COPALIS_2013/RH3080_COPALIS_201…

Estimated Cost
150
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Exterior Paint brush or spray. Choose your color.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Medeek

Sun, 05/05/2013 - 01:52

I apologize I haven't got the completed planset up for this project yet but I will try to get it up in the next couple of weeks as well as a very complete materials list. You will need to go to a farm/feed store to get the correct 1"x2" wire and 1/2"x1" wire for the floor. Do not go to Home Depot and use the cow wire they have or the hardware cloth for the floor, neither of which are the correct choice. Home Depot has the lumber but not the wire. If you have any questions or even improvements to my design I would be interested in hearing from you.

Medeek

Sun, 09/13/2015 - 19:18

Finally got around to uploading the plans.  I still need to create a material list for this plan but the basics are there now.   We've had rabbits in it for about a year but recently we've tried some guinea pigs and it works great for that as well.  The guinea pigs can pretty much live off just the grass and dandelions but you do need to move it daily to give them plenty to eat.

Bookshelf with bench for kid's room

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 06/27/2017 - 15:12

I was looking for something for my son's room that would last him until college, so I adapted your plans and added hooks and a bench and stained it.  Bookends are all we are missing to make it perfect. He loves it, and I don't think he will be able to break it.  I could use a suggestion for anchoring it to the wall, though. Thank you for the great, easy-to-follow plan!

Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Natural stain and polycrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

DIYMomof4

Tue, 06/27/2017 - 18:30

Your bookshelf and bench look really nice and sturdy!  I'm sure it will hold up for many years.  As far as anchoring it to a wall, I have had luck with anti-tip furniture straps.  I would use several and anchor them right to the studs.  I also use long, self tapping construction screws instead of the screws that come in the package.  

Great Patio Set

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 13:02

I wanted sturdy seating for my patio. Ana White had the perfect plans for my L shaped seating and coffee table. It was simple to put together and we love it!

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Picnic Tables

For my son's 4th birthday party, we were doing it at our house and needed outdoor seating, so I took on the task of building 3 Toddler picnic tables and 1 smaller one. Building them was not that big of a deal, but painting all 4 took some time! After the party, we sent 1 to my parents, 1 to in-laws & 1 to my bro/sis-in-law, so only ended up with 1 left over. FYI-the picture on the plan is one of mine, thanks Ana!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I primed each table, then painted them with 3 coats of paint and sealed them.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Grillin' and Chillin' - Outdoor Grill Food Prep Station

Needed a table for food prep with my grill and found your plans! I used treated lumber for the base and nice cedar planks for the top. The treated lumber had a whiter than usual color which made the base really pop out. I put a nice pecan stain on top and a few coats of poly so the BBQ sauce wouldn't stain it! This was so easy, literally took 2-3 hours to build, stain and poly was done over the next few days. Ready for my next ana-white project. Thanks for posting these plans.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Simple pecan stain and minwax poly. Brushed on the stain and kept brushing until I got the darkness I wanted
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

tr7dul

Wed, 07/09/2014 - 16:24

I was looking on Pinterest and found this table. It was exactly what I was looking for. You inspired me to go out and buy a miter saw and some wood and make the table. It turned out wonderful. It now has a permanent place on my patio and gets used when I grill mostly. I was hoping to be able to upload a photo but don't see the option to do so. Anyway, I want to say thanks for the great plans/instructions.

Camp Loft Bed Full size

Submitted by katjagest on Wed, 10/06/2021 - 05:05

Made this Loft bed for a full size mattress in 2019 and it is still strong. I added a stretcher on the bottom of bed across the length of the the bed added strength.

Comments

Dog Bunk Bed

We’ve been looking around for some plans for a doggy bunk bed for a while now, but couldn’t find anything that we liked so I decided to build it from scratch. This is a huge bunk bed that was built based on the size of our larger dog’s bed which is 44 x 35. This was pretty simple to build although the stairs we’re quite challenging as I have never done them before so if I can make it, anybody can.

I must stress that before I found Ana’s website about 6 months ago I could barely cut a piece of wood straight. Over this time I have made several things based on the easy to follow plans on this website which ultimately gave me the confidence to go it alone and build this bunk bed. Friends and family are shocked at some of the furniture I’ve made and some don’t even believe I made them and think I’ve bought them from IKEA. My wife has got a list of furniture she wants to make now including a TV console, an armoire and a twin bed for one our daughters. Every spare second I have now is spent is making furniture and I LOVE it.

For anybody who has never built anything and is apprehensive to do so I would just say, do it. Grab what you need and dive right in. You may get frustrated and scream a bit at first, but the reward at the end is well worth it and each project you do will get easier and easier. Be warned though. The better you get, the more people will pester you to make things for them.

Thank you, Ana.

This was made using cheap 1 x 3 and 1 x 4 furring strips for the railings and bed slats, 2 x 4s for the posts and 1 x 10 board for the stairs.

Estimated Cost
$75 - $100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I haven't sanded or finished this yet as we are still deciding on what to do with it.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Rustic Modern TV Console

Just finished up this unique TV console.  Built from reclaimed pallet wood. 

Estimated Cost
$150.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Clear coat of wax
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

Templar

Mon, 12/02/2019 - 22:10

Hi there Im new to site and also have the issue of not seeing the plans for this Rustic Modern TV Console. Are they available and Im doing something wrong or??

Queen Murphy Bed

Submitted by Jenga on Sun, 12/06/2015 - 12:59

Not too bad of a project but had to a good bit of guess work so I could changed the plans for a queen size bed and flip in on its side.

Estimated Cost
$200 if you already have the bed
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
White Paint and laminate flooring left over from the floor.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Arilie

Sun, 05/29/2016 - 18:50

Good evening!

I am new at wood working, and would be very interrested in knowing the different measurements you changed to get from a twin to queen murphy bed. If it is posted on this page, I tried but couldn't find it. Thank you for your help. Have a good day.

Marie-Julie

Closet shelving for sloped ceiling.

Submitted by kellystern on Mon, 01/09/2023 - 16:22

I used Ana’s Shelf Help Configurator to build these shelves for a deeply sloped ceiling. None of those well known Closet Organizer Companies could come up with a decent plan for this closet and they charge a small fortune.

Comments

Outdoor end tables

I made these two Ana White outdoor end tables for my patio. Next up will be the matching coffee table

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Treehouse/Playhouse

Submitted by Bigbill99 on Sun, 01/10/2016 - 00:07

Thank you! You've helped me look like a true carpenter who knows what he's doing! My whole family is impressed with my woodwork lately, and now I'm addicted. I've done your seesaw, bar table and stools plus the treehouse in 2 weeks. Thank you for sharing your plans!

Estimated Cost
$500.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Spar urethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

3 Seat And Loveseat 2X4 Outdoor Couches

Submitted by jerryo on Mon, 06/03/2019 - 19:39

Used Redwood and Kona colored stain. This is my first wood project and Ana really inspired me in being able to complete this. Thank You Ana all the way from California! The Love Seat was easy to modify from the original 3 seat plan.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Kona
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

jerryo

Thu, 06/06/2019 - 11:40

hard to believe, we found them on the Big Lots website...$40 a set back and cushion. We looked everywhere for an affordable option. These look great and are really comfortable..!thanks for the compliment : )

Jerry

Reclaimed TV console

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 01/21/2016 - 10:24

Built this TV console from reclaimed pallet wood. Added some tiny hairpin legs for more of an industrial look.

Estimated Cost
$150.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Hand rubbed clear wax
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced